This device relates to an improved weed removal tool for homeowners, gardeners and the like.
The removal of unsightly weeds in lawns and gardens is accomplished by using either chemical or mechanical means. The use of chemicals possesses the disadvantages of using premixed, expensive and usually environmentally sensitive and toxic weed killers. Also, it can require the inconvenience of mixing concentrated solutions to prepare a working mixture. Further, chemicals can damage or destroy adjacent plantings if not carefully applied. They also leave in lawns the remains of a dead weed with its obvious brown color in contrast to the surrounding healthy green grass.
Mechanical weed removal, to be effective, requires removal of different types of weeds. However, although mechanical weed removal avoids the above chemical problems, mechanical weed removal can be manually painstaking and frustrating using one tool to remove a variety of weed roots because of their structure, depths in the soil and tenacity to the soil. Depending upon the type of weed to be removed, the root can be a single, lengthy type root penetrating deep into the soil, or a bushy, hairlike root located a couple of inches below ground surface, or a vine-like root located at or near the surface. Also, the force required to extract large weeds and certain types of weeds having multiple roots can be annoyingly substantial.
The use of existing single-purpose hand weeding tools have very limited capability to effectively remove a variety of weeds using the one tool. As a result, several individual tools must be used by the homeowner and gardener. Because of this inflexibility of single-purpose weeding tools, in many instances, only a part of the root is removed and the weed renews its growth. The combination weeding tool described herein offers that flexibility.
The weed removal tool described and shown herein has the following advantages over existing single-purpose weed removal tools:
1. A combination of mechanical attachments to the weeding tool offer the user the flexibility to effectively remove weeds having a variety of root structures at different soil depths.
2. The user can adjust the penetration depth of the lifting blade for removal of the lengthy, single type of weed roots.
3. It provides a fulcrum to minimize the weed root extraction force when using the lifting blade.
4. When using the lifting blade, the user can place the tool handle in an optimum forward position initially to reduce excessive backward rotation of the handle for weed removal which is ergonomically desirable.
5. The tool provides access to the fulcrum to apply foot pressure to assist the lifting blade in penetrating the soil.
6. A multiple tine rake is integrated with the fulcrum to effect removal of weeds having bushy type roots located relatively close to the soil surface and is spring-biased to return to the working position while using the adjustable lifting blade.
7. A cultivator bar is integrated with the fulcrum to effect removal of weeds having vine-like roots at or near the soil surface or for use as a general soil tilling attachment.
8. A crevice blade is integrated with the fulcrum to effect removal of weeds sprouting between the narrow gaps of patio blocks and the like.
9. The multiple tine rake, cultivator bar and crevice blade attachments can be readily snapped into inactive storage positions. Also, the cultivator bar and crevice blade can be separately snapped into working positions in relation to the fulcrum.
The foregoing advantages and objects, as well as other and further advantages, objects and geometrical features of the present invention will be manifest in the following detailed description and preferred embodiment thereof when read in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification. However, these descriptions and drawings are not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention, for which purpose reference is made to the appended claims. For example, to improve the ergonomics of the tool, the handle may be made in two pieces and adjustable to afford a more forward position to reduce the rearward limit position of the handle to completely extract a weed. Also, a tubular metal handle could be bent in a permanent configuration to suit the typical user""s needs.